Engagement in Hindi – February 13, 1971, Gorakhpur

Prabhupada:

Dear ladies and gentlemen, we are running this International Society for Krsna consciousness and it functions according to the principles of the Vedic scriptures all over the world. The scriptures say that the greatest religion is that which teaches devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead... The Supreme Lord is within everyone's heart. Just like father and mother always have love for the child, right from childhood onwards. The mother always has affectionate relationship with the children, similarly God is everyone's Supreme Father and He Himself says "aham bija-pradaḥ pita" sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4], it is not like that God is only the father of humans but He is the Father of all the living beings. Different living beings have taken up different bodies according to their karma. There are eighty-four lakh species of different kinds but those who are learned they know that the soul within them all is the common.

A brahmana, a canḍala, a hog, an elephant or a cow, these all have different kinds of bodies still the part and parcel of God the living being, soul is present within them. That is why those who are learned in spiritual knowledge and versed in devotional service they see all as one. Samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu…

So, devotional service is the means by which we are revive our forgotten relationship with the Supreme Lord. Because of our current forgetful position, we are facing the threefold miseries adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika, there is simply misery and more misery. We are under the imopression that we are happy but Krsna Himself says that that this world is duḥkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], this world is the place form receiving miseries, then how is it even possible to live here and attain happiness? All the big stalwart acaryas, in the Hindu religion or any other, none of them has said that people can be happy living in this world, one has to go somewhere else and strive for that. Just like in our Hindu dharma, there is the prescription of going back to Godhead, to Goloka Vrndavana, or to the abode of Visnu, Vaikuntha. The faith of Islam prescribes one to go back to Allah, similarly in Christian faith one is advised to work on order to attain the kingdom of God. In Buddhist religion one is recommended to strive for nirvana.

None of the acaryas, the spiritual teachers, recommend that one should live int his world comfortably. This is not factual, in the Bhagavad-gita the same thing has been said when Krsna says yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6], to go to that place from where one has not to come back, that is my Supreme Abode. So, in every way God is taking care of us. just like if someone's child loses his mind and leaves home, this puts the parents in great distress. Oh, my child has left home, where is he staying, where is he eating, he must be wandering here and there. If somehow or other if the child can come back home, it shall delight his parents. Therefore, it is not the goal of performing devotional service to attain some worldly pleasure. This is an illusion. There are so many people who go the temples and churches and mosques with such a desire.

Nowadays, big-big scientists and philosophers say that if you wish for material happiness then what is the point of your going to the temples, mosques and churches? You should earn your daily bread, eat, drink and be merry, what is the use of going to the temple? And the public learns accordingly. In Russia to make the entire village atheist, earlier they used to do like this, I don't know how they do it now. I heard, they used to take a truck full of bread and used to ask a villager to go and ask for bread in the church. So, they used to go and pray: God, please give up our daily bread. So, you all know where is bread in the church? Then the communists used to ask, well did you get the bread? The villagers would say, no sir, no bread yet but we surely prayed for the bread. Still we haven't got any bread. Alright, now pray to us for the bread, so the villagers are innocent people they requested the government men for the bread, so they used to open their lorries, take it, as much as you like. This means that if the concept of going to the temple is to ask for material happiness. So, the big scientists recommend working for the same material comforts, which is also endorsed by the government these days.

But there is this one thing, that one may enjoy as much as he likes, thinking that he is very hard working for he has accumulated a million rupees in ten years or even two million but how long shall we stay here? as much as fifty or a hundred years after that whatever you have earned will be left here. you will only take all the reaction, pious and impious of the work you have performed. A person may think that he has become very rich having earned twenty, twenty-five lakhs thinking himself very rich and accomplished but if his deeds remained lowly then according to the laws of nature, he will have to take birth in lower species of life. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6], in the Bhagavad-gita we get this statement, that however, is the state of mind at the time of death, one will get the next birth accordingly, this is the law of nature,

It is all law of nature why otherwise would there be different bodies? If here fifty people are present then there will be fifty different types of bodies, this is all due to the modes of material nature otherwise, everyone would have the same body. The human society out of the total eighty-four lakh species of life, all have different bodies. We get this body, karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1], as it has been said in the scriptures. According to one's karmana daiva-netrena, deva means God, according to the order of God we get our body. So, we mean to say that whatever religion is practiced to attain material happiness or material gain, according to the scriptures it is kaitava dharma or cheating religion. The real dharma or religion teaches surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who Himself says sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

The real dharma according to the instructions in the scriptures is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religion which has no connection with the Supreme Lord is known in the Vedic scriptures as cheating religion. However, according to the Bhagavata the real dharma is sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6], dharma prescribing devotional service unto the Supreme Lord is proper dharma if there is no devotional service, the spirit soul cannot be satisfied, if you wish to completely satisfied your soul and wish for peace then devotional service is the one and only means to achieve it. That is why Krsna says,

So, in every case if you wish to attain happiness you should work putting God in the center of all your activities. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasaḥ svanusthitasya dharmasya [SB 1.2.13], according to our Vedic laws, there is the division of varna and i… brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya sūdra brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasi. Four social divisions brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya what we know as Hindu dharma, that is a name given by the Muslims, actually our religion is called sanatana dharma or varnasrama dharma. So, varnasrama dharma is not only in India but it observed to exist all over the world. In every place there is varnasrama present only by the influence of Kali yuga is has become irregulated. As it has been given in the scriptures and Krsna also says catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13], this system of varnasrama has been created by the Supreme Lord, Krsna Himself and it cannot be broken. So, it is no like this system of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya is only in India, but actually it is present everywhere. Because it is created by the Supreme Lord, it is present everywhere in His creation.

Just like the sun created by the Supreme Lord, it rises in America and in India as well. It is not like that only in India can we see the sun, nowhere else, no. Everything created by the Lord just like wind, it is experienced there and in India as well, water is present on both the continents and so is fire, because that is the creation of the Lord. Similarly, catur-varnyam the four varnas, just like Krsna says maya srstam, I have created them. So, people from all four classes are present everywhere and from those countries we have handpicked and brought them here. They are all from foreign countries and are all brahmana s because they are practicing the rules and regulations of brahmnical life, anukūlyena krsnanusilanam: [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. You can see that they are always chanting the holy names of God and they are initiated carrying the brahmana thread.

They engage in Krsna's service and follow all the rules and regulations of the brahmana and vaisnava life, then why shouldn't you accept them as such? You will consider them yavana and mlecchas or vaisnava? That is why in the scriptures it has been said vaisnave jati buddhi arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhiḥ. Just like there is the deity of the Supreme Lord, of which some people think that it is a brass statue or a statue of wood, do they think that so many people gather to worship just some piece of wood? So, people even say that if God is everywhere then what is the need of going to the temple? Yes, God is everywhere and also, there within the temple. That is why in the scriptures it has been forbidden that this is hellish mentality, arcye sila-dhir, to consider the deity to be made of some physical matter.

Actually, the deity in an incarnation of the Supreme Lord and should not be considered to be of brass or word. If one thinks the deity as a piece of wood, stone or metal, arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir and the spiritual master, if one considers Him to be an ordinary man and vaisnave, if one considers those who are engaged in service of the Supreme Lord according to the vaisnava scriptures, if one thinks that they are someone ordinary, that such as such devotee is from this caste or that caste, so one should consider Hanuman, Hanuman wasn't even from the human species, he was from monkey species but because He was the devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is still worshiped by the everyone. In this way catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ [Bg. 4.13], according to one's qualities Krsna has created four varnas, and such divisions are present everywhere, it is not like that only in India are they found, no. This is not right to say. Everywhere they can be seen. That is why all of you should try to search for brahmana, vaisnavas from all over the world and give them association of the Supreme Lord and uplift them. This is required from all those who are Indians. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is saying the same thing,

But what is this welfare, paropakara? The living beings who have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead to reawaken that relationship uttistha uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata [Katha Upanisad 1.3.14], this is welfare. The living beings forgetting their relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, think that they belong to this world, thinking themselves to be Americans, Indians, Germans, they have developed these materialistic identities yasyatma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhiḥ kalatradisu [SB 10.84.13], and being in contact with this body, they think bhauma ijya-dhiḥ, and the country in which they are born, they think that to be their identity. In this way they keep behaving, according to scriptures, like donkeys.

Sa eva go-kharaḥ, so one should give up these false identities and should consider himself to simply be an eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One's life will be successful only one identifies as such and preaches this knowledge everywhere. Only then can the people of this world be happy and only then will there be auspiciousness all over the world. In the Srimad Bhagavatam it has been said

So, if you wish to become happy and make others happy then you should preach this dharma, you will experience devotional service otherwise any religion you follow will simply remain circumstantial and will not at all be real religion according to the scriptures. Otherwise, why would Krsna say sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], first of all Krsna said dharma-samsthapanarthaya, I appear to establish dharma, but why does He then say, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya, this if you can understand a little, Krsna says mam ekam saranam vraja, only take shelter at my feet, that is dharma and nothing else is dharma sarva-dharman parityajya, please try to understand we are teaching this dharma. We don't go out and say that you become Christian or you become a Hindu. We simply ask everyone to become devotee of God, accept God and serve God, this is the only subject matter of our preaching. Please try to understand, this Bhagavata dharma means krsnastu bhagavan svayam, svayam bhagavan krsna, this is being accepted in the foreign countries. You all should also try to take shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the way it has been said in the Bhagavad-gita. Regardless of what dharma you choose to follow,

So, whichever religion you follow, if that doesn't awaken loving service for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it is simply useless labor. This is the verdict of the scriptures. And we request you all that please reawaken the dormant devotional service within your heart, and the only method to do so, especially in this Kaliyuga. Not just in Kaliyuga but in every yuga-sravanam kirtanam visnoḥ smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], in every scripture this has been mentioned, that to execute devotional service first one needs to awaken it, by hearing the holy name, bhagavan-nama grhnan adibhih, so please accept this chanting of the holy names. Hare Krsna full mantra.

Then gradually you will come to the realization that Krsna is sitting within your heart and if you surrender unto Him, and continue chanting His holy name without offence then Krsna, sitting within one's heart who Himself says tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-pūrvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg. 10.10], those who perform devotional service with love and intelligence, to them Krsna sitting within their heart gives intelligence, buddhi yoga, and what is this buddhi yoga? Yena mam upayanti te, buddhi yoga which is same as bhakti yoga for which Krsna says yena mam upayanti te [Bg. 10.10], by which one goes back to Krsna. So, this is the only means to go Back to Godhead bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55], only the path of devotional service bhakti, not by karma, jnana or yoga can one attain Krsna. It is possible to attain some material prowess by such methods but if one wishes to attain God, then just like He says bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55], those who are performing devotional service and have acceptegd devotional service, only such devotees can know me in essence and all those who are jnanis and yogis they will never be able to understand Krsna. Therefore, according to the scriptures it is required from the human beings to choose this path for we not know what kind of body we will get after this human life. If according to our karma we get a body different from that within the human society, just like it has been said Jalaja nava laksani sthavara laksya vimsati, their eighty four lakh species, if one goes within that cycle then the human form of life which has been received we have wasted it, missed the opportunity. Such kind of behavior is not considered appropriate.

In the scriptures it has been said that if someone dies knowing such a face is a brahmana etad viditva yaḥ prayati sa brahmanaḥ, those who die without this knowledge like, dogs and wolves they are krpanas, why it has been said so? Because they have received this opportunity but… just like if a person has received one lakh rupees and they don't use it properly, he will be known as krpana but if he uses it generously then he will be known as a generous person. So, a brahmana means a person who utilizes this human form of life properly to ultimately attain the highest destination after death. But those who are krpanas they simply eat, sleep produce offsprings and die like dogs. So, this is the subject matter of our preaching. So, all of you have received this human form of life, so please don't waste it like a krpana.

Please become a brahmana and take the responsibility of a brahmana, and develop his qualities. Spiritual life is one of the qualities of a brahmana. All you have to do if first of all give up these four kinds of activities, striyaḥ sūna dyūtam panam yatradharmas catur-vidhaḥ [SB 1.17.38], there are four kinds of sinful activities particularly, for the brahmanas they are proscribed and should be given up by anyone who wishes to follow spiritual life. There is this rule in the scriptures that if the king is sinful then the entire population will suffer. And if a brahmana engages in sinful activities he immediately falls down. He will become a sūdra, and if everyone is a sūdra no one even is a ksatriya then how will the government run nicely? And in Kali yuga particularly, kalau sūdra sambhavah. So, if anyone is serious about attaining elevation, then this is the duty of the Indians to give them the opportunity. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

This is the mission of Indian people and same is the mission of our International Society for KC to elevate everyone to the platform of brahmana-vaisnava, please all of you accept it. And with this endeavor these boys and girls have advanced so much, so please you also accept it. This is my request to you. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. [End]